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Art and Laughter
This is the first book to take seriously (though not too seriously) the surprisingly neglected role of humour in art. "Art and Laughter" looks back to comic masters such as Hogarth and Daumier and to Dada, Surrealism and Pop Art, asking what makes us laugh and why. It explores the use of comedy in art from satire and irony to pun, parody and black and bawdy humour. Encouraging laughter in the hallowed space of the gallery, Sheri Klein praises the contemporary artist as 'clown' - often overlooked in favour of the role of artist as 'serious' commentator - and takes us on a tour of the comic work of Red Grooms, Cary Leibowitz, 'The Hairy Who', Richard Prince, Bruce Nauman, Jeff Koons, William Wegman, Vik Muniz, and many more. She seeks out those rare smiles in art - from the Mona Lisa onwards - and highlights too the pleasures of the cute, the camp and the downright kitsch.
- GenresArt
176 pages, Paperback
First published November 22, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 28, 2011
This book hammers in the idea that humour can be art. This, to me, is a simple obvious thing and I derive no pleasure in reading a whole book trying to convince me of something I already believe. Thus, I skipped most pages of this book and my review is only half-informed.
The most interesting moments were at the beginning of the piece, where the author goes over the various theories and types of humor:
"The incongruity theory may best explain the root cause for all humour. Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher, first proposed the theory of inconcruity in the 1600s and said: 'Nothing produces laughter more than a disproportion between that which one expects, and that which one sees.' Further along these lines, Hutchenson, KAnt and Schopenhauer made similar statements that support that humour is a result (...) of the unexpected. According to Schopenhauer, laughter results from the fact that we'get something that we are not expecting'. Of course, the unexpected cannot be threatening, but as Morreall explains it is a 'pleasant jolt' in thinking that is made possible through our recognition of the surprise. Humour arises via a process of acknowledging what seems to be out of sorts, i.e. surprise, and in a way that undoubtedly gives us some pleasure.
The superiority theory of humour acknowledges that for something to be funny the viewer must feel some delight in seeing others come to some travail, but thank goodness that it isn't us! It is a psychodynamic theory advanced by Bergson in 1928 that emphasized the social function of humour -- that humour and pleasure can be derived from finding delight in others' misfortunes through mockery and ridicule. Superiority theory can be traced back to the writings of Plato and Aristotle, and can account for why we find something humourous and laugh at the completely ridiculous and absurd. Terms associated with superiority theory include agressive-defensive humour and playful aggression. Examples of practical jokes and satire may be explained by superiority theory. Some may say that all humour contains some degree of hostility: think of these terms associated with humour -- 'punch line', 'biting satire', and 'side-splitting humour'.
Herbert Spencer and later Freud asserted that laughing is a release of restrained energy associated with the repression of socially taboo or forbidden thoughts or behaviour. According to the theory, we hide behind our socially constructed masks and personas until we are confronted by images or thoughts that trigger the surfacing of our deepest and darkest fantasies or fears. In laughing, we are able to release the tension of withholding these forbidden impulses. The relief theory of humour is at work when we look at erotic art, satire, caricatures, experience disgust humour, amusement from watching others engage in social or moral taboos, or actions involving bodily functions.
Another theory of humour that has relevance for understanding contemporary art is the sociological theory of humour. This theory recognizes that although the ability to understand and appreciate humour may be universal, non-members of a culture who have not internalized the behaviours, social norms or values of the culture may not fully appreciate the humour within social interactions and in cultural texts, such as jokes and art. Similarly, another humour scholar, Avner Ziv, writes that the function of humour may vary from culture to culture and that humour has four basic functions: first, to achieve group solidarity; second, to reduce conflict and conceal malice; third, to control. perpetuate or challenge norms and stereotypes; and fourth, to indice pleasurable experiences. The third and fourth functions of humour as outlined by Ziv are most applicable to the contemporary artworks discussed in this book." p. 10-11
According to the author, there are five types of humor: parody, paradox, pun, satire, and irony.
About imitation:
"We laugh at imitations because of the way an artist may have demeaned and de-idealized an image, and thereby, reduced it in status and value. We laugh at imitations because we just can't laugh at the original because maybe it is just too serious or important." p. 16
About satire:
"Satire may be explained byu the superiority theory of humour, which emphasizes a social function of humour. Through satire, pleasure and delight may be found in a seeing others' habits and features exaggerated and their weaknesses exposed." p. 16-17
About the pun:
"The pun may be explained primarily by the incongruity humour theory. A visual pun can be described as an image with two or more concurrent meanings resulting in the understanding of images on more than one level. A pun can be metaphoric or illusionist, and often contains sayings or phrases that are part of our vernacular culture." p. 17
About the paradox:
Author quoting: a self-contradictory fur teacup that is 'so fantastic that only a comic reaction can make the image bearable.'
The most interesting moments were at the beginning of the piece, where the author goes over the various theories and types of humor:
"The incongruity theory may best explain the root cause for all humour. Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher, first proposed the theory of inconcruity in the 1600s and said: 'Nothing produces laughter more than a disproportion between that which one expects, and that which one sees.' Further along these lines, Hutchenson, KAnt and Schopenhauer made similar statements that support that humour is a result (...) of the unexpected. According to Schopenhauer, laughter results from the fact that we'get something that we are not expecting'. Of course, the unexpected cannot be threatening, but as Morreall explains it is a 'pleasant jolt' in thinking that is made possible through our recognition of the surprise. Humour arises via a process of acknowledging what seems to be out of sorts, i.e. surprise, and in a way that undoubtedly gives us some pleasure.
The superiority theory of humour acknowledges that for something to be funny the viewer must feel some delight in seeing others come to some travail, but thank goodness that it isn't us! It is a psychodynamic theory advanced by Bergson in 1928 that emphasized the social function of humour -- that humour and pleasure can be derived from finding delight in others' misfortunes through mockery and ridicule. Superiority theory can be traced back to the writings of Plato and Aristotle, and can account for why we find something humourous and laugh at the completely ridiculous and absurd. Terms associated with superiority theory include agressive-defensive humour and playful aggression. Examples of practical jokes and satire may be explained by superiority theory. Some may say that all humour contains some degree of hostility: think of these terms associated with humour -- 'punch line', 'biting satire', and 'side-splitting humour'.
Herbert Spencer and later Freud asserted that laughing is a release of restrained energy associated with the repression of socially taboo or forbidden thoughts or behaviour. According to the theory, we hide behind our socially constructed masks and personas until we are confronted by images or thoughts that trigger the surfacing of our deepest and darkest fantasies or fears. In laughing, we are able to release the tension of withholding these forbidden impulses. The relief theory of humour is at work when we look at erotic art, satire, caricatures, experience disgust humour, amusement from watching others engage in social or moral taboos, or actions involving bodily functions.
Another theory of humour that has relevance for understanding contemporary art is the sociological theory of humour. This theory recognizes that although the ability to understand and appreciate humour may be universal, non-members of a culture who have not internalized the behaviours, social norms or values of the culture may not fully appreciate the humour within social interactions and in cultural texts, such as jokes and art. Similarly, another humour scholar, Avner Ziv, writes that the function of humour may vary from culture to culture and that humour has four basic functions: first, to achieve group solidarity; second, to reduce conflict and conceal malice; third, to control. perpetuate or challenge norms and stereotypes; and fourth, to indice pleasurable experiences. The third and fourth functions of humour as outlined by Ziv are most applicable to the contemporary artworks discussed in this book." p. 10-11
According to the author, there are five types of humor: parody, paradox, pun, satire, and irony.
About imitation:
"We laugh at imitations because of the way an artist may have demeaned and de-idealized an image, and thereby, reduced it in status and value. We laugh at imitations because we just can't laugh at the original because maybe it is just too serious or important." p. 16
About satire:
"Satire may be explained byu the superiority theory of humour, which emphasizes a social function of humour. Through satire, pleasure and delight may be found in a seeing others' habits and features exaggerated and their weaknesses exposed." p. 16-17
About the pun:
"The pun may be explained primarily by the incongruity humour theory. A visual pun can be described as an image with two or more concurrent meanings resulting in the understanding of images on more than one level. A pun can be metaphoric or illusionist, and often contains sayings or phrases that are part of our vernacular culture." p. 17
About the paradox:
Author quoting: a self-contradictory fur teacup that is 'so fantastic that only a comic reaction can make the image bearable.'
June 19, 2018
This was a required reading for a class. I found it easy to read without being boring. If you are interested in finding out about humor in art, this would be a good book to read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews